Graeme Smith: Chasing the blues down

On a flat-as-a-pancake pitch in Dubai, Graeme Smith scored 100 in the first innings against Pakistan in November 2010, exactly a year ago. Since then, he had endured a slump of sorts, going through 8 innings without reaching the three-figure mark and aggregating just 224 runs at a none-too-impressive average of 28. Even bearing in mind that all but one of those 8 innings was concentrated in the November 2010 to January 2011 period, a mere 8 innings slump is not catastrophically worrisome. However, adding to his Test match woes, Smith has endured an abject year in ODIs as well. In 2011, he has scored runs at an average of 27.93 and a strike-rate of 65.16 - that's less than 4 runs an over.

The form slump was real and it was worrisome. In the end, it needed Smith's favourite mode - a fourth innings chase in a Test match - to draw him out of it. A magnificent unbeaten 101 not out followed, to seal a Test that had swung wildly and needed stability more than anything else for one side to win.

Smith's career average has gone back past 50 after his unbeaten century and stands at 50.30 now, but his average in the fourth innings of Tests is an astounding 56.92. In fact, among batsmen who have scored at least 1000 runs in fourth innings, Smith has the third best average of all time. If the criteria of 1000 runs is relaxed a little (so that the olden day stalwarts who scored prolifically but in an era when Tests were not as frequently played can be included) to 700 runs, Smith still shines, coming in at Number 6 overall.

Best Averages in 4th Innings:(Minimum: 700 runs)

Player

Country

Innings

Not Outs

Runs

Highest

Average

100s

50s

0s

Donald Bradman

Australia

15

5

734

173*

73.40

3

4

3

Geoffrey Boycott

England

34

13

1234

128*

58.76

3

7

2

Sunil Gavaskar

India

33

9

1398

221

58.25

4

8

2

Jack Hobbs

England

23

6

979

126*

57.59

2

6

1

Younis Khan

Pakistan

23

7

912

131*

57.00

4

4

5

Graeme Smith

South Africa

32

7

1423

154*

56.92

4

8

2

Ricky Ponting

Australia

39

14

1362

156

54.48

4

5

3

Javed Miandad

Pakistan

22

7

816

103*

54.40

2

5

1

Keith Stackpole

Australia

19

5

749

136

53.50

1

6

1

Gordon Greenidge

West Indies

38

12

1383

214*

53.19

3

6

1

Mahela Jayawardene

Sri Lanka

29

9

1006

123

50.30

3

5

1

Smith has superb fourth innings numbers whichever way they are dissected. In terms of fifty-plus scores in the fourth innings his unbeaten century was his 12th - putting him at the joint highest position with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sunil Gavaskar. However, in the ratio of fifty-plus scores made to innings played, Smith is the undisputed leader among the men who have the most fifty-plus scores in the fourth innings. Smith scores 50 or better every 2.67 innings which is just slightly ahead of Sunil Gavaskar.

Best ratio of 50-plus scores in 4th Innings:(For batsmen with the most number of 50-plus scores in fourth innings overall)

Player

Country

Innings

Not Outs

Runs

Average

Number of 50+ scores

Ratio

Graeme Smith

South Africa

32

7

1423

56.92

12

2.67

Sunil Gavaskar

India

33

9

1398

58.25

12

2.75

Chris Gayle

West Indies

35

5

1184

39.47

11

3.18

Geoffrey Boycott

England

34

13

1234

58.76

10

3.40

Michael Atherton

England

39

6

1375

41.67

11

3.55

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

West Indies

43

10

1406

42.61

12

3.58

Matthew Hayden

Australia

39

13

1287

49.50

10

3.90

Jacques Kallis

South Africa

43

15

1231

43.96

11

3.91

Gordon Greenidge

West Indies

38

12

1383

53.19

9

4.22

Ricky Ponting

Australia

39

14

1362

54.48

9

4.33

Brian Lara

West Indies

46

5

1440

35.12

9

5.11

Sachin Tendulkar

India

53

15

1515

39.87

10

5.30

Rahul Dravid

India

54

18

1507

41.86

10

5.40

Smith's numbers essentially mean that he has scored 3 scores of fifty or better in every 8 innings batted during the fourth innings of a Test match. Given how the pressure in the fourth innings is almost always the highest, this speaks volumes about his ability to soak up the pressure.

It is perhaps this ability that led him to shrug off his bad form and perform when the chips were down. Both Hashim Amla and Smith scored centuries, and South Africa couldn't have hoped for two men better suited to handling the chase in a match that had seen the last two innings fold for less than a combined total of 150.

However, while Amla looked more delectable in his stroke-play, it was Smith who played the more solid innings, never giving a chance. He had a few close calls through edges, but Amla gave two clear chances. In times of strife, South Africa needed their captain and he heeded his country's call.